What was once a dedicated freezer store was converted into a versatile, multi-purpose fruit facility, seamlessly enhancing its capabilities to handle both frozen and fresh produce. This ambitious project – spearheaded by Jeff Wedgwood Consulting Engineers and implemented by Cape Bulk Industrial Refrigeration – exemplifies CCH ' s dedication to modernising cold chain operations while emphasising critical energy efficiency and sustainability. The project at their Epping facility in Cape Town serves as an example of this commitment to meaningfully investing in people, systems, infrastructure and technology across their group. CCH is a leading cold storage and logistics provider in Southern Africa, dedicated to growing the Pan-African cold chain and strengthening food security across the continent, growing local economies and boosting trade with international export markets.
CCH is listed by the Global Cold Chain Alliance as among the 25 largest refrigerated warehousing and logistics service providers in the world, with a team of over 715 employees and operations spanning six regions, 11 facilities, and a total capacity of 145 000 pallet positions across 90 000 m 2 of temperature-controlled warehousing.
CCH’ s core services include multi-temperature warehousing and distribution, fruit exports handling and storage and port services.
Jeff Wedgwood- whose relationship with CCS spans decades, from his early days with Worthington-Smith and Brouwer in 1987 to starting his own company; Jeff Wedgwood Consulting Engineers in 2003- oversaw the entire conversion as project manager and refrigeration engineer. This long-standing collaboration laid the groundwork for the successful upgrade of the Epping site, which previously saw the construction of three freezer rooms, one in 2005 and two in 2021, even amid the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The latest endeavour, initiated last year, aimed to expand these capabilities, allowing for the concurrent cooling and storage of various fruits while retaining freezer storage functionality.
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Dispatch area.
Valve assembly.
The facility ' s refrigeration backbone is a robust two-stage ammonia plant, which operates on its high stage during the demanding citrus season. This powerful system is crucial for
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maintaining precise temperature control, especially for citrus, which is kept just below 0 ° C. While the primary plant( Plant Room 1) handles citrus volumes, a second plant( Plant |
Room 2) services other holding rooms, with interconnecting piping allowing for seamless operational shifts and maintenance without disrupting the entire facility. |
All images by Jeff Wedgewood Consulting Engineers |